UK news
Heathrow isn’t crowded, it’s travellers walking on the wrong side, boss reveals
February 13, 2026Heathrow airport has revealed a crowding problem that a third runway cannot solve: British and foreign travellers walk on different sides, and keep colliding, according to its chief executive. Thomas Woldbye said that while Heathrow serviced more passengers in a smaller overall area than comparable European hubs, part of the London airport’s trouble was the […]
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River Thames spot among 13 sites shortlisted for swimming status
February 13, 2026The first designated bathing water area on the River Thames in London has been shortlisted as one of 13 new monitored swimming areas across the country. The Thames at Ham, in south-west London, was shortlisted as a new river bathing water after campaigners gathered evidence to show thousands of people use the river for swimming […]
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Met had ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, says spycop who tricked women into sexual relationships
February 11, 2026An undercover officer who deceived three women into sexual relationships said his superiors did nothing to prevent him from doing so, the spycops public inquiry has heard. Jim Boyling, who infiltrated environmental and animal rights activist groups for five years, said senior managers turned a blind eye to undercover officers having deceitful sexual relationships with […]
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‘Holy grail’ footage of David Bowie at his peak to feature in immersive London show
February 10, 2026Rare “holy grail” footage of David Bowie performing Heroes at Earl’s Court in 1978 is to feature in a new immersive show about the singer’s life and creative practice. Extended footage of the performance has been pieced back together by the team behind the new Lightroom exhibition, who had access to new camera angles found […]
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North of England 2040? Andy Burnham backs plan for multi-city Olympics bid
February 8, 2026The north of England is seeking to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games to boost a region “left out of the national story”. Northern leaders have written to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, urging the government to back a multi-city games spanning an area with a population of 15 million people. Sadiq Khan, the London […]
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‘Plainly wrong’: London flat dwellers fight shock £200,000 heating bill
February 7, 2026‘If I could move, I would – to a place without a heat network. But I can’t while this debt is hanging over me,” says Anja Georgiou. The mother lives with her family in a rented flat in the River Gardens development in Greenwich in south-east London where, three years ago, residents were shocked to […]
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Police search two homes connected to Peter Mandelson over Epstein scandal
February 6, 2026Police are searching two properties connected to Peter Mandelson as part of an investigation into claims that he passed market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein. A Metropolitan police statement, which did not name Mandelson, said searches were taking place in Camden, north London, and Wiltshire. Mandelson has been living in a rented property in Wiltshire since […]
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Restoring Palace of Westminster could cost £40bn and take 61 years
February 5, 2026Plans to restore the crumbling Palace of Westminster could cost £40bn and take up to 61 years, a report by the body set up to investigate how the project should be handled has found. Critics labelled the cost as “eye-watering” and said the project lacked accountability. MPs and peers will have to choose between two […]
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The Green surge shows British politics has reached a turning point – and it has surprisingly little to do with Zack Polanski | Aditya Chakrabortty
February 5, 2026“How many?” On the end of the phone is a nice press officer for the Greens, head full from a long day in Gorton, Manchester, showing off their would-be MP. And now, as Friday’s sky turns indigo, I’m calling about reports from Lewisham, south London, that tomorrow they’re expecting a flood of 500 Green activists. […]
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Father of toddler abused by nursery worker ‘frustrated’ by deportation
February 4, 2026The father of a toddler who was abused by a nursery worker in a “sadistic” campaign of cruelty says he is “upset and frustrated” that the worker is to be deported to Poland on Thursday, less than five months into an eight-year sentence. Roksana Lecka, a Polish national, was convicted last June of 21 counts […]
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